Lacing-hook.



engage the lacing, and prevent the WILLIAM T. RICHARDS, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

LACING-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented April 14, 1908 Application filed May 11, 1907. Serial No. 373,063.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. RICHARDS, of Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing- Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a lacing hook for use on boots and shoes and other articles secured by lacings, and it has for its object to provide a lacing hook adapted to securely OSSlbility of the accidental movement of the lacing outwardly from under the terminal portion of the hook, the construction being such that the hook is protected and guarded so that it cannot engage a garment which may project over the hook.

The invention also has for its object to provide a lacing hook of the character above noted, which shall be of compact form, the length of the device as a whole being reduced to the minimum.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specificatiom-Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a lacmg hook embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 represents a top plan view.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

My improved lacing hook is preferably made from a sheet metal blank, although I do not limit myself to this material. In the embodiment of my invention here shown, the hook is composed of a sheet metal base portion 12, adapted to bear on a portion of the upperof a boot or shoe, and provided with suitable attaching means, preferably an eyelet 13, adapted to pass through the portion of the u per on which the hook is lo-. cated, and to e spread or upset to secure the hook. Any other suitable attaching means may be employed. The blank from which the hook is made, has an extension, which is bent outwardly from the plane of the base 12 to form a hook composed of a neck ortion 14 and a terminal portion 15, the atter overhanging the base. The terminal ortion 15 is considerably narrower than t e base, and its outer extremity is preferably curved inwardly toward the base, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

16 16 represent guards, which are formed by providing the blank with lateral eX- tensions, these being bent upwardly from the base portion, and standing at opposite edges of the terminal portion of the hook,' from which portion they are separated by spaces through which the lacing may be passed. The terminal portion 15 of the hook projects between the guards, its outer surface being substantially flush with the upper portions of the edges of the guards, as shown in Fig. 1. The inner edges of the guards, or those w 'ch are opposed to the neck portion 14 of the hook, are therefore considerably nearer the said neck portion than the outer end of the terminal portion 15. The said imier edges therefore constitute stops, which prevent the bight, or portion of the lacing which is engaged with the neck 14, from slipping outwardly toward the outer end of the terminal portion 15, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, Where the lacing 18 is indicated by dotted lines.

It will be seen that the lacing may be engagecl with the hook, either by threading it through the opening bounded by the neck 14, the terminal portion 15-and the inner edges of the guards 16, as shown in Fig. 1, or by looping the lacing, and passing the bight of the loop between the outer end of the terminal portion 15 and the base 12, the sides of the loop being passed through the spaces between the edges of the terminal portion and the guards, and the loop being drawn back until it comes to a bearing on the neck 14. When the loo is in place, 1t is prevented by the guards i om slipping outwardly and reaching the outer end of the terminal portion 15. The upper and outer edges of the guards prevent the possibility of skirts or other garments catchlng in the outer end of the terminal portion of the hook. Another advantage of the guards 16 is that since they project upward in vertical planes, they form uprights which protect the hook 15 from receiving such pressure as might bend it down or flatten it.

My invention is distinguished from any lacing hook heretofore made, so far as I am aware, by the fact that the terminal portion 7 of the hook projects between guards located at opposite edges of the hook, the outer end of the terminal portion of the hook being farther from the neck of the hook than the inner edges of the guards. This distinguishing characteristic results in the more secure engagement of the lacing with the hook than the hook and are adapted to prevent out heretofore, and reduces the length of the ward movement of a lacing from sa1d neck hook to the minimum, so that the hook has portion to the outer end of the terminal pora compact form, which conduces to its stifftion of the hook.

ness and strength, and gives it a desirable ap- 2. A lacmg-hook comprising a base hav- 25 pearance. ing means for attachment to a support, a v I claim: hook integral with the base and having a 1. A lacing-hook comprising a base havneck portion rising from one end of the base ing means for attachment to a support, a and a terminal portion overhanging the base hook integral with the base and having a to form a hook, and integral upright guards 30 neck portion rising from one end of the base, rising from the base at op osite edges of the and a terminal portion overhanging the base, hook portion, the upper e ges of said guards and guards also integral with the base and being in a plane at a height to protect the projecting outwardly therefrom at opposite hook portion from being bent downward.

- edges of the hook, the terminal portion of In testimony whereof I have afliXed my 3.3

the hook projecting between the guards, signature, in presence of two witnesses.

whereby the hook is protected or guarded by WILLIAM T. RICHARDS. the upper and outer edges of the guards, Witnesses: while the inner edges of the guards form C. F. BROWN,

stops Whichface toward the neck portion of ARTHUR H. BROWN. 

